Western's New Rodeo Coach: Guy Smith

Western’s new rodeo coach, Guy Smith, comes to Western Oklahoma State College via Canada. A professional rodeo cowboy with Olympic and college rodeo credentials, Smith intends to build Western’s college rodeo program with students who exhibit not only talent, but also character and a desire to earn an education.

Based on those goals, Smith will take a long-term approach to recruitment and team-building. While most of last year’s rodeo team will return this year, Smith already has solid leads for the following year from all over North America, and even one young lady from Australia. His recruiting began soon after being named Western’s new rodeo coach, and included a visit to both the High School National Finals and the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR) as well as numerous phone calls and emails to his many contacts in the rodeo world.

Smith learned the basics of roping calves from his family and became the second youngest calf roper to qualify and compete at the Canadian Finals Rodeo at 18 years of age. He had already seen some success in the arena by the time he was a high school senior and was tempted not to take college very seriously. That changed when he tore up his knee after his first year in college. He realized the importance of an education, and that will definitely be a strong focus with his rodeo team. "I am probably going to ride these kids harder than anybody ever has about their grades," he said. "That’s more important than anything."

Smith’s success continued through his college career, rodeoing for Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas and Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

While competing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), he won the 1996 Southwest Region Calf Roping Championship, was a three-time qualifier for the College National Finals Rodeo, and was a member of a NIRA Reserve National Champion men’s team.

Smith’s rodeo career continued to the professional level, where he achieved eight Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifications and a final four qualification at the Calgary Stampede’s $50,000 round. He was selected to be a member of the Canadian Olympic Rodeo Team and compete at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Olympic command rodeo performance.

Smith’s experiences extend to the agriculture and ranching community as well. He grew up on the family-run purebred Maine-Anjou and grain farming operation, Poplar Haven Farms and later NuHaven Cattle Co., both located in Alberta, Canada. He has also had the opportunity to see many different regional trends in beef production due to his extensive travels in Canada during his tenure as National Market Development Manager of the Canadian Hereford Association.

For the past two years, Smith has been located in North Platte, Nebraska, working with Schaffer Cattle Co. and as a bonded livestock dealer.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and Master of Science degree in Agriculture from Tarleton State University. Smith and his wife, Emily, who is herself a three-time goat-tying qualifier to the College National Finals, have two children, Brayden and Taylor.

Smith said that the WOSC Foundation has done a very good job in building up Western’s rodeo facilities and he hopes to continue that process. While he is very concerned about recruiting quality students who apply themselves and are willing to earn an education, in the long term he would like to "grow the program into one of the most competitive in the nation."

In addition to coaching rodeo, Smith will also teach Livestock Evaluation (AGRI 1152) this fall.